Windmill governor



July 26, 1938, J EVANS 2,125,222.

WINDMILL GOVERNOR Filed Aug. 15, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY July 26,1938. A, EVAN 2,125,222

WINDMILL GOVERNOR Filed Aug. 15, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTOR NEY fl/"Zhur JEVnai Patented July 26; 1938 2.12am wmnmur GovsaNoa ArthurJ. Evans,

Columbus, N. Mex.

Application August 15, 1936, Serial No. 98,280

1 Claim.

This invention relates to governor controlled windmills and has for theprimary object the provision of a simple and emcient device of thischaracter which will automatically vary the pitch of the blades inaccordance with the velocity of the wind to maintain the operation ofthe windmill at a substantially predetermined speed and also through themanual actuation of a suitable means cooperating with the governormechanism the windmill may be easily stopped.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in certainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts tobe hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had tothe following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view illustrating a windmillconstructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure1.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3- of Figure1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure3.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating the curvature of one ofthe blades and taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

6--6 of Figure 4.

Figure '7 is an edge elevation illustrating one of the blades and thecurvature thereof extending from one end to the opposite end of saidblade of the blade when acted on by wind currents as suggested by arrowsin Figure 5, and alsoshowing the endwise curvature of said blade withrespect to its direction of rotation when the blade is in full operativeposition for rotating the shaft of the windmill by the wind currents. I

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral I indicates asupporting sleeve mounted in any suitable way and forms a journal for apower shaft 2, one end of which is reduced to form an extension 3 onwhich is journaled a gear 4. The sleeve and shaft 2 extend into a casing5 and the latter has secured thereto a spider Bwhich is in turn securedto the power shaft 2. One end of the casing is closed by a removable capI and received within the other end of the casing is a closure 8 formingan inegral part of the supporting sleeve I.

Pairs of shafts 9 extend through the casing and are suitably journaledthereto. The pairs of Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line andshowing by an arrow the directionv of rotation shafts cross each otherat a point in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the power shaft.The shafts of each pair fit one within the other and the outer shaft hasa slot l2 extending transversely thereof. Secured to the outer shaft ofeach pair of segmental gears l I and journaled on the outer shaft aresegmental gears II, which are secured to the inner shafts. The segmentalgears II and I2 mesh with the gear 4. Integral with the shafts 9 areblades l0 and each is transversely curved and tapers from one edgetowards its opposite edge and also is arcuately curved from one end toits opposite end; in accordance with the laws of aero-dynamics, thearcuate transverse curvature of the blade increases the efliciency ofthe blades since in facing the wind the concave side of the bladereceives pressure while on the convex side there will be a suction pull,and I have found that the longitudinal curve of the blade from end toend maintains a more direct right angle push and pull on the bladeprobably due to the fact that the outer end of the blade travels fasterthrough a greater area. Governor rods III are pivoted to thesegmental-shaped gears I l and I2 and are slidable through openingsformed in the spider 6 and have pivotal connection with governor armsI3. Each arm i3 is of substantially U-shape pivoted to the spider, as Ishownat ll. A weight I5 is secured on one end of the arm l3 while theopposite end is pivoted to a link It. The link It is pivoted to a rod llslidably mounted in a housing l8 secured to the casing. Coil springs I8are mounted on the rods l1 and bear against the housings l8 and seats 20secured to said rods. The weights when influenced by centrifugal actionwork against the action of the springs. A brake plate 2| is Journaled onthe sleeve l and secured to the rods l1 and cooperating therewith is abrake plate 22 splined to the sleeve l and is actuated by the pivotalmovement of a lever 23, the latter being pivotally supported, as shownat 24, on the closure 8 and sleeve I. An operating element 24' issecured to the lever 23, and this element can be operated to move brakeplate 22 forwardly toward brake plate 2| to effect a retardation of therotation and by sufllcient forward movement thereof stopping of thewindmill will be eifected by a direct braking action between the plates.

It is to be understood that the sleeve l is tobe equipped with a tailvane for the purpose of bold. ing or maintaining the windmill in thewind.

In operation, with the brake plates disengaged, the governor will act tomaintain the operation of the windmill at a substantially predeterminedon said casing and secured to the shaft, blade shafts extending throughsaid casing and crossing each other with their point of crossing inalignment with the power shait, blades secured to said blade shafts, agear joumaled on the power shaft, segmental gears meshing with said gearand secured to said blade shafts, governor arms pivoted to said spider,rods connecting the governor arms to the segmental-shaped gears,housings secured to said casing, rods slidabie in said housings andpivotally connected to the governor arms, springs acting on said rods,brake plates located in the casing and one journaled in the sleeve andthe other splined to'said sleeve, one of said 10 brake plates beingsecured to the rods, and an operating mechanism for eflecting slidingmovement of the other brake plate.-

AR-I'HUR J. EVANS.

